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The Miss Rule

PublishedOctober 31, 2018

Given that the miss rule is an integral part of the game, we play it in our league. However, there is a wide range of refereeing experience amongst us, and so it is the responsibility of the home team captain to ensure that the rule is implemented consistently over the course of the five frames.

The definition in the WPBSA rules is –

A miss is when the cue ball fails to first contact a ball on, and the referee considers that the striker has not made a good enough attempt to hit a ball on.

Please remember that only a maximum of three misses can be called per visit, and as we are a social league we all want to play in a fair way, and so the following criteria has generally been used over the past few years and can be applied to the judging of a miss rule.

A miss is to be called when –

The striker can see the ball on.

The striker fails to reach the object ball.

The striker has a pack of reds to hit.

The striker can hit the object ball using one cushion.

The striker chooses a more difficult ball to hit, or chooses a more difficult route than necessary.

It is also worth noting that a miss CANNOT be called when a snooker is needed either before or after the shot, and a miss CANNOT be called if the points available on the table are equal to the points difference, e.g. if the striker is 31 behind with 35 left on the table and they give away a 4 point foul.

If you follow the above advice, and apply a reasonable amount of common sense, then we will have a consistent approach to what can be a difficult issue. However, please remember that the referee’s decision is final and absolute, and we ask that all players show respect to those officiating.